Rotary engine.



F. G. OROURKE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION map 050,16. 1915.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

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F. G. OHOURKE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

v APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16. 1916. 1 %%?,6%, fatentfid Nov. 2?,1911

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FRANK e. OROURKE, or ALBANY, NEW YoaK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Application filed December 16, 1916.

To all whom it may concern. 7

Be it known that I, FRANK G. OROURKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Albany, in' the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in rotary engines, and has for its object to provide an engine of the character specified, wherein a stator is provided and a rotor moving in the stator, together with an abutment which is movedinto and out of the path of movement of the rotor, the stator havingan inlet on one side of the abutment and an exhaust on the other side.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the improved engine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a side view.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the parts in another position.

Fig. 7 is a front view of the shaft and vane.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a front view of the improved engine.

Fig. 10 is a face view of the cam.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows adjacent to the line.

The present embodiment of the invention comprises a casing or stator, consisting of a ring 1 closed by heads 2 and 3 at its ends. the said heads being secured to the ring and to each other by bolts and nuts 4. The heads 2 and 3 have secured thereto base brackets 5, for supporting the casing or stator, and the heads have hubs 6 and 7 respectively, in which is journaled a shaft 8, the shaft having the usual fly wheel 9.

A blade or vane 10 is provided, the said blade or vane fitting closely within the cas mg and having a hub 11 encircling the shaft. A pin 12 is provided for securing.

the hub and the blade or vane to the shaft, the said pin passing through the shaft and through the hub and extending into the vane. The vane is also provided with packing strips 18 for making a fluid tight joint Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2?, 121W.

Serial No. 137,341.

between the blade or vane and the casing, and the casing has an inlet 14 and an ex haust 15, the said inlet and exhaust opening into the casing through the head 3, and on opposite sides of a movable abutment 16.

This abutment 16 is secured to a shaft 17, whlch is mounted to slide through a stufling box 18 in the outer wall of an enlargement or chamber 19 from the head 2. This abutment is adapted to be moved into the position of Fig. 6, wherein it closes the communication between the inlet 14 and the exhaust 15, and forms an abutment against which the motive fluid may react to propel the vane or blade 12, or it may be moved into the position of Fig. 4, out of the path of movement of the blade or vane, to permit the passage of the same. The abutment is operated from the shaft 8 through mechanism to be presently described, and the operation of the device is as follows:

With the parts in the position of Fig. 5, a supply of motive fluid, as, for instance, steam, is admitted to the casing by way of the supply port 14, while the abutment is in the position of Fig. 6. The expansion of the steam drives the vane or piston 10 forwardly, and since the exhaust 15 is always open, there will be no impediment to the forward movement of the piston. Just as the piston covers the exhaust opening 15, the abutment is moved into the position of Fig. 4, that is it is withdrawn from the path of movement of the passage, and inertia will carry the piston past the exhaust and past the abutment. As soon as the piston is past the abutment, the abutment is moved into the position of Fig. 6, and the motive fluid is again admitted, driving the piston forwardly.

It will be noticed from an inspection of Figs. 4 and 6 that the heads 2 and 3 have inwardly extending concentric ribs 20 just outside the enlargement 11, and the said ribs extend entirely around the casing, the blade being notched at each side, as indicated at 21, to receive the ribs. These ribs serve as packing and as guides for the abutment, the ribs being notched to receive the abutment at the chamber 19. The improved engine is very strong for its size, and while simple in construction is eiiicient in operation and cheaply manufactured. The noise from the exhaust is reduced to a minimum, for the reason that the exhaust is always The abutment is operated by means of a cam having a hub 26 which is secured to the shaft by means of a set screw 27 and the cam has on one face an eccentric groove 28.

A lever 29 is arranged between the cam and r the stem 17 of the abutment, the said lever being pivoted as indicated at 30 on the easing of the engine, the said lever having a loop through which the shaft 8 passes, and the upper end of the lever is notched or recessed longitudinally as indicated at 31 for receiving the stem 17. The said stem has pins 32 on each side of the lever, and it will be evident that when the lever is rocked the stem and the abutment will be reciprocated. Below the shaft the lever has a pin 33 which engages within the groove 28. As the shaft 8 rotates, the lever will be vibrated, and once during each complete rotation of the shaft the abutment will be inserted in the casing and withdrawn therefrom.

I claim:

A rotary engine, comprising a ring, heads secured to opposite sides of the ring and formed with outwardly extending hubs, one of said heads having a radial opening and the remaining head having an inlet and an exhaust upon opposite sides of the plane of the radial opening, said heads having annular ribs upon their inner faces notched in line with the said radial opening, base brackets attached to the heads, a shaft mounted in the hubs of the'heads, a hub mounted upon the shaft within the annular ribs of the heads, a vane snugly fitted within the ring and hub and between the heads, and having its inner corners notched to clear the annular ribs, a pin connecting the vane and hub to the shaft, a chamber secured to the head having the radial opening, and in line with said opening, an abutment laterally slidable in the chamber through the radial opening and notches of theannular ribs, and across the space formed between the heads, and means for operating the said abutment from the shaft to clear the vane.

FRANK G. OROURKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

